Resources

Test and Worksheet Generators for Math Teachers www.kutasoftware.com It has practice worksheets for Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry (//submitted by Tenesha Young, Durham Cohort//)

Teachnology Lesson Plan Maker [|**http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/lesson_plan/**] This site provides a free template to create lesson plans from and has been a valuable tool for keeping teachers organized. It lacks customization, but with so many available fields, most everything can be covered.

Integrating Technology in the Classroom [] This website offers several articles and tutorials on how-to use various technology media appropriate for the classroom. A few included: Digital Storytelling, Podcasting, Blogging, and Handheld Computer Use in the Classroom. The articles are listed by technology and are described in a way that assists in discerning whether this technology is appropriate for one’s purposes.

Teacher’s Network: Incorporating Technology [] This site is another compilation of how-to articles, similar to “Integrating Technology in the Classroom.” The difference between “Integrating Technology “ and “Teacher’s Network” is the assumption of prior knowledge. “Integrating Technology” assumes a little more than basic understanding of technology terms and concepts, whereas “Teacher’s Network” assumes that those visiting this site are completely new to these ideas, yet looking to incorporate them in successful and meaningful ways.

About.com: Powerpoint Lesson plans [] This article is a near-conclusive list of suggestions and methods for creating useful Powerpoint presentations. It lists several examples in a variety of subjects, and each are filled with helpful ideas. The site also offers tutorials on how-to add video and sound to Powerpoint presentations.

Study Stack <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Category: Technology <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This site has a list of courses and topics that have corresponding flashcards already created and it also allows you to create your own. You can flip through these flash cards online, print them out, email, export, download to an iPod or PDA, and/or view through cell phone applications. Notes can be downloaded and topics are already listed by course and section. When a set of cards is selected, these cards can be manipulated in many ways: Notes, Flashcards, StudyStack, Study Table, Matching, Hangman Crossword, Unscramble, Type In, Bug Match, and Targets.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Lesson Plans and Resources for Social Studies Teacher <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|**http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013/**] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A collection of many resources, websites, and a large sample of lesson plans geared specifically for Social Studies Teachers at multiple age levels. Put together by a professor at Cal State Northridge.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Reading Quest: Strategies for Reading Comprehension <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|**http://www.readingquest.org/strat/**] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This site provides a large variety of instructions and templates for various types of reading comprehension strategies. While it mentions Social Studies specifically, most of these strategies could be used across many disciplines.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dipity <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|**http://www.dipity.com/**] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dipity allows for the creation of multimedia timelines which can incorporate videos and pictures. I find it highly useful for Social Studies but it could easily be utilized for novels in English as well. There is a great deal of useless information on the site that has to be sifted through, but the tool itself could be very engaging for today's high school students.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">History Lesson Plans and Resources <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|**http://www.cloudnet.com/~edrbsass/edhist.htm**] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Contains a ton of links to various lesson plans and resources specifically meant for history classes. The site has a lot of annoying google ads you have to work around, but there is some solid content for multiple age groups.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">iLearn Technology <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|**http://ilearntechnology.com/**] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">An educational blog focusing on how to incorporate technology into the classroom. Tons of great examples of how to utilize technology in every type of classroom. Only downside is much of this is elementary age focused.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Animoto <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|http://www.animoto.com] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Animoto is a web application that creates professionally produced videos from your pictures and music. The user can upload images, videos, and music, which is then analyzed and combined to create something that resembles a modern day music video. It’s very user friendly and can be a wonderful tool for students, especially visual learners, to use to create video presentations. In the English classroom, students can create their own Animoto that turns their favorite book into a music video or a fake movie trailer.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Capzules <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|http://www.capzles.com] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Capzles takes the idea of telling a story with a photo album or videos and puts it all into one multimedia package. It uses Flash-based technology that allows users to upload photos, video clips, and audio files into a linear, chronological strip. Each image or file can be scrolled through horizontally and selected. Each image/video can have a caption, links, and a blog. In my opinion, this website is ideal for all classroom settings. It’s very user friendly and students can use this to create presentations that might require some degree of chronology. In turn, teachers can use this to introduce material that must be presented in linear/chronological order. Capzles also allows the user to be as creative as they want. And it’s free!

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Curriki <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|http://www.curriki.org] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Curriki is a website for open source curriculum development. It provides access to free curricula and instructional materials for teachers of K – 12 students. The website is set up by a community of educators that are devoted to creating quality materials to benefit teachers and students around the world. It’s completely free and is appropriate for teachers of all subjects. It’s easy to search for materials and you can find nearly anything from basic lesson plans to full course plans with assessments. (As with all online lesson plans, do not expect to immediately print-and-use. Lessons need to be modified for individual classrooms and teaching styles.)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Rubistar <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This website assists teachers in creating rubrics for a variety of assignments. It is very easy to use. An educator can choose which type of project he or she is grading, and then choose the desired categories to grade or enter their own category. The website will create a rubric based on the categories that the teacher enters. It is easy to modify, as well.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Thinkfinity.org <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This site contains lesson plans, interactive activities, primary sources, handouts and other resources for educators. It addresses many subjects areas such as economics, geography, history, social studies, foreign languages, literature, mathematics, and sciences. A teacher can also enter the grade level for age appropriate resources. The website is accessible to students or parents for additional educational opportunities.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Suite101.com: Home > Education & Career >New Teacher Support <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Category: Classroom Management <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This website is a compilation of contributed articles on the issues many new teachers face. The site offers articles on classroom management and discipline, lesson planning, strategies for teaching ESL students, time management and organization. The site seems best designed for providing strategies and help on specific issues teachers face. It is certainly not a lesson-planning site.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">NASA: For Educators <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Category: Lesson Planning <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This site is great because it offers creative applications and interactive programs designed to communicate scientific information about our earth and universe. Grade levels are specified, which helps narrow the search, but it still requires some time to find what you are looking for. The materials, sites and information provided on this site are specific and likely best used to further illustrate a concept that has already been taught.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Public Schools of North Carolina - Professional Development <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This site contains information regarding professional standards for educators and opportunities for professional development in North Carolina. It includes upcoming events, including residential and non-residential seminars, online classes, and other educational opportunities, as well as a wealth of articles and documents to improve teaching skills and presentation techniques. There are also links other websites offering professional development classes and information.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Quizlet <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|http://quizlet.com] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This website is useful in defining words and concepts in an interactive environment. Teachers can utilize this resource as a supplement for students in various subject areas. It contains activities and games to make learning and self-assessment interesting. Subject matter includes English, foreign languages, math, science, history, government, arts, literature, and professional trades, as well as standardized tests. Much of the material is organized in "flashcards."

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">ReadWriteThink <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|http://www.readwritethink.org] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">ReadWriteThink is a website devoted to providing educators, parents, and other professionals with access to quality practices and free materials for reading and language arts instruction. This website is partnered with the International Reading Association, National Council of Teachers of English, and Verizon’s Thinkfinity. Every lesson plan is aligned with IRA/NCTE Standards for English Language Arts, and individual state standards as well. ReadWriteThink doesn’t offer just lesson plans, but strategy guides to help sharpen teacher instruction. The website is very user friendly and searching for lesson plans and professional development tools is easy with the menu-style sidebar and the search box.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Prezi <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|http://www.prezi.com] <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Prezi is an online presentation designer. It’s a flash based application that changes the way presentations are created. Prezi offers an alternative to PowerPoint. Users don’t make individual slides but instead create large maps and then zoom in and out of the map which contains all the information. Prezi presentations can be much more engaging, for the user and the audience, than a PowerPoint presentation. Users won’t be able to simply read off information from slides, like with PowerPoint. The design of Prezi allows the presenter and presentation to flow smoothly in unison, whereas with PowerPoint, the presentations can sometimes feel choppy and stilted. This could be a wonderful tool for students who might lean too heavily on PowerPoint slides for class presentations.